1. Field
Example embodiments relate to an apparatus and method that may convert a low-resolution depth image to a depth image having a resolution identical to a resolution of a high-resolution color image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Time-of-Flight (ToF) depth camera provides depth information of a scene in real time. However, a low sensitivity of a photodiode used as a pixel of the ToF depth camera causes an increase in a size of a pixel and thereby a decrease in resolution.
Additionally, since a currently commercialized depth camera fails to obtain color information, a separate color camera is necessary to obtain the color information for generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of a scene. Also, there is a need to geometrically calibrate the color camera and the depth camera. Further, a device, for example, a beam splitter, is also necessary to match viewpoints of the color camera and the depth camera. Accordingly, a size of a camera would be increased.
Recently, it has become possible to sense a color and a depth of a scene from the same viewpoint using a single camera, which is called a color-depth camera.
However, the color-depth camera uses four or sixteen color pixels as a single depth pixel by connecting the four or sixteen color pixels, due to a low sensitivity of a photodiode. Accordingly, there is a need to increase a resolution of a depth image to a level of a resolution of a color image, in order to generate, from a color-depth image, an image of a new viewpoint while maintaining the resolution of the color image.